Golf ball practice machine



Aug. 21, 1934. M.,T. THOMPSON I GOLF BALL PRACTICE MACHINE Filed June 1, 1935 unu mzz rriwm'yp'i'i l BY ATTORNEY- Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED sTAr Es err FFiE 24 Claims.

' stroke of the ball, of a plurality of discernible faults of the operator, in play. Such faults in stroke, by slicing, or light stroke, and the like, all of which may be included in a single stroke of the ball, are, after the ball is played, shown by the apparatus herein, thereby enabling the player to leisurely study the final lay of the ball on the apparatus, and to visualize the avoidable faults, thereby to correct his play.

Amongst the various advantages provided are means for indicating the force of the stroke on the ball, actuated by the ball momentum, also an involute movable take up drum for absorbing the shock of a ball and actuated thereby to set the indicator to show approximatwdistance of ball flight, means for absorbing the drum and ball movement, to return the drum to normal inoperative position, a baffle means to absorb the final impact of the ball, and means to indicate the slice, and direction of slice of the ball.

These and other features and capabilities will be apprehended as the herein description proceeds, and it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the apparatus herein disclosed without departing from the spirit hereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a, front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmented side View showing the ball and take up drum at the instant of impact of the ball with the bafile; v

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line ll Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is an amplified fragment of the ball suspending cable or cord.

As shown in the drawing thepresent device comprises an upright stand, the postil of which is mounted upon a floor-base plate 2. At the top of the post 1 is transversely and fixedly mounted a supporting shaft 7, upon which, at one end 8, the drum 3is rotatably supported, by a hub 9, Fig. 1.

At one side of the drum 3, Fig. 1, is firmly affixed one flanged end 14 of a rotatable lever arm generally denoted by 10, upon which said hub 9 is mounted, the arm 14 being attached by bolts 15l5 to the outside of drum web 11, as at 14, Fig. 1.

The lever arm 10, further, has an integral outstanding dash pot control arm 13 shown in full in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. The outer end of this arm is pivotally connected at 18 to the plunger rod 16 of a dash pct 17, the r opposite end of the dash pot being pivotally affixed at 19 to the post 1- by a pivot bolt 20.

The dash pot plunger rod 16, is encompassed by a coiled compression spring 21, the upper end of which presses against the upper head end 24 of the casing 17, the lower end thereof being seated against the rear end of the cupped washer 22, thereby to normally keep the plunger downward, as disclosed in Fig. 2. The lower end of the dash pot casing 17, is provided with a small vent hole 23.

The outer end of the lever 10, Fig. 1, has a third 70. down standing arm 25, the lower end of which is provided with a hub 26, which is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 7. Thus the lever arm 10, rotatably engages the shaft on its two outer hub ends 9 and 26 to pivotallysupport its dash pot operating arm 13, and is affixed to the wall 11 of the involute drum 3.

The drum 3 as will be noted in the Figs. 2 and 3, is in the form of an involute in its transverse section, its inner surface at a point near the drum shaft being partly flat as at 32, and then developing out into a gradually diverging involute curve, and at its outer end has a horizontal bent over flange 33. The inside edges of the drumare bounded by a single side wall 11, previously described, and by means of lever arm 14 and its hub 9 and lever arm 25 and its hub 26, the drum is free to rotate on shaft 7, under constraint of the dash pct 17, to the position shown in Fig. 3, as will be later described.

At the horizontal flange 33 of the drum and at its longitudinal center as in Fig. 1, is suspended a cord or cable a, the upper end being clamped to flange 33 by a cord clamp 6 fastened on by any suitable means. The lower end of the cord 4 carries a captive ball 5 at tee height from the base line of base 2. The two outer ends of the drum flange 33 are provided with two guard clamps 37--37, one of which is shown in Fig. 2,- the purpose of these clamps being to firmly hold the ends of two U-shaped, spaced guard rods 38-38 to the outer end of the involute drum. The other ends of the guards 38 are affixed to the under face of the involute drum, at the front thereof and adjacent the outer edges of the drum, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by two spaced edge clamps 3939. As thus mounted, the rigidguards 38+38 prevent the ball, under play, from going out of bounds and, incidentally, protect the player from injury, if the ballis badly stroked,

by reason of guarding the cord 4 on each side thereof, as fully shown in Fig. 1. As indicated in Fig. 3, the guards 38-38, being rigidly afiixed to the drum 3, move with the drum when it is moved on its axial shaft 7.

The inner fiat end 32 of the drum has two spaced apart metallic rings which loosely suspend a shock absorbing baiile 11. This bafiie may be of felt or rubber or a woven textile, and serves the purpose of receiving the final impact of ball at the end of its stroke, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and thus prevent back bounding of the ball.

The non rotating shaft '7, at its outer end, external to the post 1 carries thereon a frictioned indicating index pointer 29, the hub 28 of which movably engages the shaft 7 with a friction grip. Adjacent the pointer 25 is fixedly mounted upon the non-rotatable shaft 7 an indexed indicator 30, the hub 31 of which is pinned to shaft 7.

The horizontal top arm of lever 10 fixedly mounts a pointer needle actuating blade or arm 27, the purpose of which is to move the pointer needle 29, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, after each ball stroke, whereupon the needle 29 due to its frictional engagement on shaft '7 is caused to stand in the blow indicating position after each stroke.- It is manually reset after each ball stroke. 1

In order that the player may check his stroke, after each ball play, from the ball, as it lies wrapped on the drum, the drum is provided on its exposed surface, Fig. 1, with a plurality of indices, generally denoted by 42, the medial position start:-

ing with a central zero or cipher, and being progressively numbered 1-2-3 i, etc., from the cipher on each side thereof.

Further, the cord 4, as inFig. 5, which may be of white woven sash cord of small diameter, is provided with a linear colored line 43, painted thereon or woven therein, which line, when the ball is in play position as in Figs. 1 and 2, shows in straight true vertical position on the cord.

In use the player stands at one side of the apparatus, on the right side of Fig. 1, and in front of the device as viewed in Fig. 2, and, addressing the ball 5,,withthe driver I), Fig. 1, strikes the ball. The ball immediately moves forward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and at the same time starts to move the drum in the same direction as the ball. As the'ball travels upwardly and outwardly its true trajectory is distorted by the gradual take up of the cord as it wraps around the involutev drum face, the cord being thus gradually foreshortened, until the ball finally strikes the loosely suspended shock absorbing buffer 41. During this action the drum has been moved until it reaches the final position about as illustrated in Fig. 3, this final position, being entirely in accord with the force with which the ball was initially struck. During the rotative action of the drum, the piston plunger1622 has been drawn back'wardly in the dash pot 17, compressing spring 21, untilthe stroke forces are absorbed and th drum comes to a standstill.

During the movement of' the drum, the needle starting pointer 29 is pushed by'lever 27 to the full are ballstroke on index 30. As the dash pot piston 22 moves up or down in the dash pot, vent 23 controlsthe inlet o'routlet of the contained air within said dash pot and thus controls the speed of the drum in either direction of rotation, resisting the pull of the ball in stroke direction and retarding the drum recovery movement. It will thus be seen that the most powerful drive of the ball is easily absorbed, and resolved into a limited angular drum rotation, so that all forces, light or heavy are easily translated into distance indications on the index 30.

. Should the ball be driven slightly off to either side of the medial or cipher line, thecord would be wrapped around the drum at an angle, such as is indicated in Fig. 1 at 44, where the cord 4 is .shown angularly wrapped, thus showing the player the faulty shot.

If the ball is sliced, then, as it spins in its flight it twists the cord 4, and the linear colored line is twisted with the cord and as the ball and cord lie on the drum, this fault is easily noted, by the twisted colored line.

After noting the position of the ball and cord on the drum, the player then drops the ball to its play position as in Figs. 1 and 2, sets the pointer needle 29 back to zero and again plays the ball.

What I claim is:

1. In a captive golf ball practice machine, a means for supporting a suspended ball comprising a cord anda linear mark on said cord to indicate the amount of slice of a ball stroke, by the twisting of the cord and mark.

2. A golf ball practice machine, comprising a stand, a rotatable drum on the stand, a suspended captive ball attached to the drum, said drum having its peripheral surfacecurved approximately as an involute, leaving a space between the two extremities through which the ball may pass into the interior of the drum, an indicator, and means on said drum to move said indicator. when the ball is struck.

3. A golf ball practice machine comprising a stand, a drum mounted thereon, a captive ball suspended from said drum, said drum having its peripheralsurface curved approximately as an involute, leaving a space between'the two extremities of the involute, and a flexible bafiie suspended across the interioriof the .drum in the path of the ball thereby to receive the impact of the ball and absorb its residual energy.

4. A golf ball practice machine comprising a stand, a movable member on the stand, a suspended cord carrying a captive .ball and attached to the member in position to wind about thememher and move the member when the ball is struck, and an indicator to indicate the amount of movement of the member when the ball is struck.

5. A golf ball practice machine comprising a rotatable involute drum, a captive ball, a cord carrying the ball and attached to the drum in position to 'wind about the involute portion of the drum, and a dash pot to control the rotation of the drum. i

6. A golf ball practice machine comprising a rotatable drum, a captive ball, a cord by which the ball is suspended in position to wind about the drum, from the drum,'an indicator moved by said drum whenthe ball is struck to move the drum, and a spring to retard the rotation of the drum.

. 7. A golf ball practice machine comprising a rotatable drum, a captive ball, a cord by which the ball is suspended in position to wind aboutthe drum, from the drum, and a dashpot and a spring to retardthe rotation of the drum.

8. A golf ball practice machine comprising a drum having a substantially horizontal axis and having an involute side, a captive ball, a cord by which the ball is attached to the drum in position to wind about the involute side,'the involute shape distributing the wear on the cord.

9. A golf ball practice machine comprising a rotatable drum having an involute side, a captive ball, a cord by which the ball is attached to the drum in position to wind about the involute side and a dash pot and a spring connected to the drum to control the rotation of the drum. 7

10. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted for limited movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis and comprising a wall developing from its rear portion downwardly and forwardly from said rear portion; a cord suspended from a forward portion of said wall and hav ing a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly, the cord winds about the outer face of the wall and is prevented from reaching said forward portion, the cord turning the drum. 7

11. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted for limited movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis and comprising a wall developing from its rear portion downwardly and forwardly from said rear portion; a cord suspended from a forward portion of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly, the cord winds about the outer face of the wall thereby turning the drum; and means for indicating amounts of said turning.

12. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted for limited movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis and comprising a wall developing from its rear portion downwardly forwardly from said rear portion; a cord suspend ed from a forward portion of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly the cord winds about the outer face of the wall and is prevented from reaching said forward portion, the cord turning the drum; a spring and a dash pot for retarding the turning of the drum; and means indicating amounts of the turning movement.

13. A golf ball practice machine comprising a stand; a drum, mounted on said stand, comprising an axially horizontal involute wall having its inner edge near and above the axis, the drum developing from said inner edge, upwardly, rearwardiy, downwardly, forwardly and upwardly, progressively further from its axis, so that its forward edge is furthest from the axis; a ball; means tethering the ball to a forward part of the drum;

' the involute wall gradually absorbing the shock of the ball.

14. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted on a substantially horizontal axis and comprising an involute wall developing from its inner edge, rearwardly, downwardly and forwardly progressively further from said inner portion; a shock-absorbing means at said inner portion; a cord suspended from a forward part of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly, the cord winds about the outer face of the volute wall and the ball strikes the shock absorbing means.

15. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted for limited movement about an axis substantially longitudinal to the pivotal axis of the drum and comprising a wall developing from its inner portion rearwardly, and forwardly progressively further from said inner portion; a shock-absorbing means suspended at said inner portion; a cord secured to a forward part of said wall and having a captive ballsecured to its free end; the length of said cord'being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly, the cord winds about the "outer face of the wall and the ball strikes the shock absorbing means, the cord turning the drum; yieldable retarding means resisting said turning; and an indicator to indicate the amount of said turning.

16. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted on a substantially horizontal pivotal axis and comprising a wall developing from its inner edge rearwardly, downwardly and forwardly from said inner edge; a baffle suspended from said inner edge; and a cord suspended from a forward part of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly the cord windsabout the outer face of the wall and causes the ball to strike said bafiie, the cord turning the drum.

1'7. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted for limited movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis and comprising a smooth curved wall developing from its rear portion downwardly, forwardly and upwardly from said rear portion; indicia across the outer face of the rear portion of the wall; a cord suspended from a forward upper part of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly the cord winds about the outer face of the wall and causes the ball to stop before it reaches said forward portion, the cord turning the drum.

18. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted on a substantially horizontal axis and comprising a wall developing from its rear portion downwardly and forwardly from said rear portion; a cord suspended from a forward part of said wall and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly the cord winds about the outer face of the wall, and guard rods secured at the ends of the drum and downwardly looped substantially in the planes of the drum ends, to guide the cord around the drum to prevent the ball going out of bounds.

19. A golf ball practice machine comprising a drum mounted for limited movement about a horizontal pivotal axis; said drum comprising an axially horizontal involute wall having its inner edge near the pivotal axis, the drum wall developing from said inner edge, upwardly, rearwardly, downwardly, forwardly and upwardly, progressively further from its axis, its forward edge being furthest from the axis; the drum having a horizontal row of indicia across the mid part of its rear outer face; a shock-absorbing baiile suspended from said inner edge; a cord suspended from the mid-part of said forward edge and having a captive ball secured to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly, the cord winds about the outer face of the volute wall and causes the ball to strike the baflie, at the same time exerting an extended turning action on the drum while the cord is winding a spring for yieldably resisting said movement and restoring the drum to normal position;

a dash-pot connected to the drum for retarding struck and turned to twist thecord if the stroke be not true; means for holding the cord in its twisted condition for any amount of twist; and means for indicating any amount of twist.

21. In a captive golf ballmachine; a ball; a cord for suspending the ball whereby the ball may be struck and turned to twist the cord if the stroke be not true; means for holding the cord in its twisted condition; and means for indicating a twist of less than 10 degrees.

22. A golf ball practice machine a drum mounted on a substantially horizontal axis and comprising a wall developing from its rear portion downwardly and forwardly from said rear portion; a cord suspended from a forward part of said wall and having a captive ball secured'to its free end; the length of said cord being such that when the ball is struck rearwardly the cord winds about the outer face of the wall, and guard rods secured at the ends of the drum and downwardly looped in the planes of thedrum ends, a distance about as great as half the length of the cord, and extending rearwardly of the initial position of the cord, to prevent the ball going out of bounds.

23. A golf ball practice machine comprising a substantially horizontal drum; a captive ball, a cord by whichthe ball is attached to the drum in position for the cord to wind about the drum, and guards on opposite ends of the drum extending forwardly and rearwardly of the normal initial position of the cord, and downwardly a distance greater than a quarter of the length of the cord.

24. A golf ball practice machine comprising a substantially horizontal drum, a captive ball, a cord by which the ball is attached to the drum in position for the cord to wind about the drum, and guards near the ends of the drum extending downwardly and rearwardly far enough to substantiallypreventthe ball going out of bounds during its initial travel.

MILTON T. THOMPSON.

Patent No. 1,971,057 Granted August 21, 1934 MILTON T. THOMPSON The above entitled patent was extended February 26, 1952, under the provisions of the act of June 30, 1950, for 11 months and 25 days from the expiration of the original berm thereof.

Gammissioner of Patents. 

